106 Scientific Intelligence. 
converts it into ordinary phosphate ; moistened and quickly raised to a 
red vee * disengages much ammonia and is converted into metaphos- 
mee G. C. ScHAEFFER. 
eedietaicad Researches on the Nutritive Power of green and 
dry Fodder ; by M. Boussineautt, (Ann. de Chim. et de Phys., July, 
1846, and Comptes Rendus, Apr., 1846.)—It is generally thought that 
there is more nourishment in green fodder than in the dry hay derived 
from an equal weight of the fresh grass. The experiments of Bous- 
singault show that this is not true. A heifer was weighed, and fed for 
ten days on green fodder, each day a quantity equal in weight to that 
consumed was put aside to dry. The animal was again weighed and fed 
for ten days on the dry fodder, then weighed again. The experietiGnt 
was tried three times, and each time the animal weighed a little more 
afier pga on the dry fodder than after the green. The difference 
was no h to prove that the dry food was the more nutritious, 
oug 
dlitwagh ‘the a ong proved beyond a doubt, that it was not in- 
ferior in sara to the G. C.S. 
eabacunies development of Vegetable eae in Wheat ; 
by M. Bovwiitereu, (Ann. de Chim. et de Phys., » 1846.)— —M. 
Matthieu de Dombasle has endeavored. “ overturn nar Geenetion opinion 
that plants exhaust the soil only during the formation of the seed; he 
asserts that a plant at the time of flowering, contains all the elements 
required to bring it to maturity. 
he experiments made by Boussingault to i this question, were 
carefully conducted. An equal number of plants drawn the 19th of 
May, the 9th of June when in flower, and the eth August at harvest, 
furnished the data. The plants were not only dried ‘and wiped, but 
submitted to organic analysis. 
he results ‘when calculated for a hectare, were as follows: The 
assimilation of dry vegetable matter, from the time of sowing to May 
19th, was 6°8 kil. per day ; from May 19th to June 9th, 32-9 kil. per 
day ; and from eg 7th to Aug. 15th, 36°3 kil. per day. Thus the 
most ra rapid growth was before the time of flowering, but still the crop 
had nearly doubled in weight from the time of flowering to the harvest. 
The increase of organic matter was nearly in the same proportion. 
Gi Ci Bae 
5. Memoir on Coffee; by M. Payen, (Comptes Rendus, May and 
July, 1846. Pit knowledge of this important substance, is as yet but 
scanty. Caffeine, legumine, oleic acid and palmitic acid, are almost 
the only neater, the existence of which has been satisfactorily 
proved ; and the small quantity of these, shows how little of the active 
matter in coffee is really known to us. The researches of Payen, not 
yet concluded, are highly interesting, and have ee 8 to light 
a new and very singular compound, presently to be described 
The first part of the memoir consists of certain estimates of the 
amount of nutritious and soluble matter contained in the raw coffee and 
in that which has been more or less roaste 
~ Martinique coffee gave 40 per cent. soluble matter; 11-5 hygroscopic 
water, and 45°5 insoluble matter. The ease with which the soluble 
matter is removed, depends upon the fact, observed under the micro- 
scope, that the hard substance of the grain is traversed by irregular 
cavities opening into each other and containing the soluble matter. 
